Odisha Govt forms 15 Members task force on education

The Odisha State Govt. had constituted a Task Force on Education

The Odisha State Govt. had constituted a Task Force under the Chairmanship of Shri P.K. Patnaik lAS,Formerly Development Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary for articulating the patterns and directions of development of School and Mass Education in the State vide Resolution No.37767/S&ME Dated the 13th December2001. The Task Force submitted its report - "Vision 2020" viz an agenda for School and Mass Education in 2003. This was one of the most comprehensive report, based on evidence informed sector studies, background papers, relevant policy documents of Government of Odisha, Government of India and international organisations like UNESCO, UNICEF, ILO, UNDP and UNFPA, public opinion through print media and wide-ranging consultations with critical groups of stakeholders. The Task Force had an incisive look at the school and mass education system in the State from multiple lenses, and made a series of recommendations for reforming the system. The Task Force encompassed all aspects of school education: its governance and management, content and process, core competence of teachers, teacher preparation and teacher development, learner evaluation and assessment and overarching concerns for quality and inclusion. It was intended to be a policy framework for initiating and sustaining the needed reforms.

The Odisha government has constituted a 15-member task force for formulation of State policy and reforming school education system with renewed focus on quality and inclusion.

Recommendation of the task force will help develop a roadmap for the period from 2014 to 2024.

The government has retained P. K. Pattnaik, former additional Chief Secretary of the State, as chairman of the task force. Mr. Pattnaik had earlier headed similar task force constituted in 2001 which submitted its report ‘Vision 2020’ – an agenda for School and Mass Education in 2003.

Primary task of the task force is to examine recommendations of Vision 2020 which were acted upon or partly implemented and recommendations which remained unaddressed. Vision 2020 will, however, be baseline for articulating vision for a system of education with a competitive edge, says the latest notification issued by School and Mass Education department.

“The existing issues and concerns that constitute the critical mass of dissatisfaction and tend to plague the system’s efficiency and effectiveness through a dispassionate and objective gap analysis should be taken into consideration,” it maintains.

The task force has also been assigned to study and analyse non-traditional approaches and innovations tried by non-government organisations and social activists and corporate those exercised autonomy, freedom and flexibility to translate their goals into reality.

The report will consist of two parts – State policy on school and mass education and roadmap for implementation. The State government has asked the task force to submit its report within three months.

The task force will hold regional consultations with appropriate constituencies of stakeholders to capture their voices and views on various aspects of school and mass education.